Erik Bedard Traded To The Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have traded for SP Erik Bedard. The Baltimore Orioles have received OF Adam Jones, RP George Sherrill, RP Chris Tillman, RP

Fantasy Impact: Erik Bedard, much like Johan Santana, is moving to a much improved situation. He's moving to one of the best pitcher's ballparks in the AL, in a weaker offensive division, in front of a better offense, and with a better supporting bullpen. With the Orioles dealing Miguel Tejada, they look to be set on trotting out one of the worst lineups in baseball this year, so while the Mariners are hardly an offensive machine, the upgrade is pretty large. This should lead to Bedard building off of last year's breakthrough season, and the ballpark/division switch should help him post similar numbers. Be careful as Bedard has only had one ace season and hasn't lasted 200 innings yet, but last season's injury was not arm-related, and he should post an ace-like season and have a solid chance at 200 innings. He'll likely be taken 3rd after Santana and Peavy, and I think he has a great chance to live up to that draft slot in relation to the rest of the pitchers. He'll probably go too early for when I'd recommend taking an ace, however.

Much like the Twins, the centerpiece of the deal is a top OF prospect in Adam Jones. He has bigger fantasy potential than Carlos Gomez for the short term, and perhaps the long term as well, but his 2008 value will depend on playing time and his position in the batting order. He's worth keeping an eye on, but certainly not drafting as anything more than a reserve OF.

Johan Santana Traded To The Mets

The New York Mets have traded for SP Johan Santana. The Minnesota Twins received OF Carlos Gomez, SP Deolis Guerra, SP Kevin Mulvey, and SP Phillip Humber.

Fantasy Impact: The initial reaction to this trade would be that Santana's fantasy stock just went through the roof. On the surface, this appears to be the case. He's moving to the weaker league, which should mean more Ks as he'll face pitchers and pinch hitters rather than designated hitters. He's moving to a stronger team (although with a weaker bullpen), which should mean more Ws. He's also moving to a bigger ballpark, which combined with the weaker hitters, should mean a stronger ERA/WHIP. This is definitely a boon for his fantasy potential in 2008, but I still feel he's over-valued. He was a top 3 pick last year on average behind Pujols and Reyes, and he figures to go in the top 5 this year among Pujols, A-Rod, Reyes, and Hanley Ramirez. He's the surest bet among pitchers, but since there's so much turnover from year to year among the top pitchers, you'll have no problem finding a steady ace later on in the draft. Starting pitchers, even ones as dominant as Johan Santana, still only contribute to 4 catagories. When you start looking at the middle to lower half of the first round where guys like David Wright, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, and Ryan Braun are taken, you just can't substitute the 5 catagory contributions those guys add to your team as easily as you can a starting pitcher. 2008 very well could be Santana's best season yet, potentially creating a dominant performance in the 4 SP catagories, but it's not enough for me.

Among the players headed to the Twins, the only player with a chance of making a contribution in 2008 is Carlos Gomez. That depends on the playing time he'll log in CF for the Twins, plus if he'll hit in the leadoff spot when he does play. It's worth keeping in mind, but as a rookie, temper your most optimistic expectations.

Baltimore Hires Cam Cameron As New OC

The Baltimore Ravens have hired former Chargers OC and Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron to be their next offensive coordinator.

Cameron is a great fit in Baltimore who boasts a great RB/TE combination in Willis McGahee and Todd Heap. He took Tomlinson and Gates to the next level with his offensive system, and he turned Ronnie Brown's career around prior to the torn ACL. He also did a great job in SD developing both Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers into NFL QBs. Baltimore doesn't currently have a young QB to develop, so look for that to change this offseason, likely through the draft.

Fantasy Impact: Willis McGahee owners, rejoice. After coaching both LaDainian Tomlinson and Ronnie Brown, he'll bring his offensive system to Willis McGahee. He's coordinated a great rushing attack wherever he's been, and that figures to continue. McGahee saw increased productivity in the passing game last season (43 catches last year compared to 68 combined his first 3 seasons), and Cameron will likely take advantage of getting McGahee into space as he's far more effective there than as a battering ram like Buffalo tried to use him. Both LT and Brown were used quite often as pass catchers for his offense. Not only that, but both LT and Brown posted very good YPCs despite not always having a great line in front of them, so I expect McGahee's productivity to rise as well in the YPC department.

This is also great news for Todd Heap. Cameron coached the emergence of Antonio Gates, but he didn't have anything resembling Gates in Miami last season. Heap is a great all-around TE when he's on the field, so expect a rebound season from Heap, who will probably be undervalued in FF drafts next season. Cameron has never coach an explosive passing attack before, however, but has a reliable vet in Mason and a downfield threat in Clayton at his disposal. Their values will be tied closer to what happens to the QB situation.

SF Hires Mike Martz As New OC

The San Francisco 49ers have hired former STL/DET OC Mike Martz as their new offensive coordinator.

I'm not sure what the 49ers are doing here, at least on paper. Martz runs a downfield passing attack that requires a heady pocket QB, a RB who can catch passes out of the backfield, and quick WRs running precise routes. While Alex Smith is definitely an intelligent QB (he scored very high on the Wunderlich), he's more mobile than anyone Martz has coached before (Warner, Bulger, Kitna), and it remains to be seen how much he'll move Smith around. Frank Gore will play a big part in the passing game, but Martz often abandons the run. Perhaps the added scoring chances will make up for what is likely to be a downtick in carries, although it can't be much worse than this past year. The 49ers WRs are mostly a mess. Darrell Jackson doesn't look the same as he once did in Seattle, Arnaz Battle is alright, and they don't have much beyond that. Martz has never featured a TE in his offense, but Vernon Davis is easily the most talented pass catcher he has. Martz's scheme seems completely backwards from the personel that SF has, but he'll undoubtedly improve the offense's production.

Cam Cameron seemed like a far better choice, unless he wasn't interested, but I find that hard to believe. Cameron designed and engineered the prolific SD offense that featured a great all-around RB in LT and great TE in Gates before taking Miami's head coaching position last year. His scheme would seemingly fit perfectly into the personel that SF has with Gore and Davis.

Fantasy Impact: This is good news for Alex Smith. He's smart enough to run Martz's offense, and SF will upgrade their WR group in the offseason. Smith should easily post career highs all across the board next year. Frank Gore's value stays about the same. Think Kevin Jones of 2006, who posted RB1 numbers before busting his foot. Gore possesses great passing game skills, which will suit the new offense, and he'll likely receive more scoring chances. Darrell Jackson, if he's healthy, could be a sleeper, but that "if" I just mentioned is a big question mark. Opening up the offense will only mean good things for Vernon Davis, although like I mentioned above, Martz has never featured a TE before. He'll have to now. All in all, this is good news for all SF skill positions as Martz has featured a very good offense every year except in 2007.

Fantasy Football Lessons Learned

QB:

I've already posted my QB analysis, so that's covered.

RB:

1) Avoid overworked RBs from the previous year. Larry Johnson, as I warned readers prior to the regular season, was a huge risk of sustaining an injury this season. Now it's hard to take full credit for this as his injury was a bit flukish in nature as his leg was caught underneath him, but the history still holds true that RBs who receive 375 f/carries (carries + 1/2 receptions) are at high risk of breaking down the following season. Not only that, but the worries about his surrounding offensive situation and his holdout proved very valid and he started off horribly slow, then only managed a couple good games against bottom-of-the-barrel run Ds. Steven Jackson also falls into this catagory as he also surpassed the 375 f/carry mark last year. His torn hamstring costed his owners a lot of productoin during his absence. The third, LT, is pretty much the exception to all rules. Luckily no RB hit that magic number this year, although Willie Parker was well on his way until breaking his leg. Clinton Portis came the closest at 348.

2) Avoid the 30ish RBs early on. Those expecting resurgent seasons from Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James were sorely disappointed, especially Alexander as he costed a much higher price tag. Not only did he get hurt for the 2nd straight year, but he absolutely fell off the map during the 2nd half of the season. Edgerrin James continued his durability, but his production also took a nose-dive in the 2nd half of the season. Alexander seems likely to get a chance as the featured back again next year, but I wouldn't bother wasting my time with him. There's no upside left. James is likely headed for a committee as he winds down his career. Jamal Lewis and Fred Taylor are both up there in age, but they were drafted as RB3s, and they represent a much safer draft choice in that range.

3) Strongly consider offensive situation. Frank Gore was the perfect example of this. His skills didn't go anywhere, and he's still young, but the offense fell apart and he was directly a victim of the 49ers inability to pass the football. Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor were an exception this year thanks to their incredible offensive line, but expect defenses to adjust. If the Vikings don't add a reliable veteran WR somewhere along the line, Peterson could suffer from a production drop like Gore experienced this season. Top rushers like LT, Westbrook, Parker, and Jamal Lewis (what the hell?) were on offenses that were balanced enough to keep defenses honest. Rivers and McNabb struggled a bit this year, but the defense still had to respect the passing game, and the runners benefitted.

4) Beware first time feature RBs. Talented RBs like Joseph Addai, Brandon Jacobs, Marshawn Lynch, and LenDale White all failed to play 16 games. None of them had been a feature NFL RB before, and it seems to have become a pattern that first timers either wear down like Addai and Lynch, or miss multiple games like Jacobs and White. All of these guys made solid draft choices, but as the season wears on, make sure to acquire an insurance policy in case you lose one when it matters most. Marion Barber, Michael Turner, and any rookie RB will likely fall into this catagory next season.

WR:

1) Identify potential breakout stars. These are guys in their 2nd or 3rd seasons that take the next step. Braylon Edwards, Brandon Marshall, Greg Jennings, Santonio Holmes, and Roddy White all qualify for this catagory this year. All were huge draft day steals who paid dividends to their owners. Braylon Edwards was a bit of a surprise, but he produced no matter what the previous year down the stretch despite the QB carosel. Brandon Marshall flashed impressive skills his rookie season, and Walker's injury allowed him to shine. Santonio Holmes battled some nagging injuries, but he turned into one of the NFL's best deep threats and will continue getting better. Anderson's stabilization of the CLE QB situation took Edwards into the fantasy elite. Roddy White was the biggest surprise, and he really blossomed down the stretch once Chris Redman took over and started looking downfield more often. If Atlanta adds a reliable veteran QB, he'll be one to target next year. Dwayne Bowe, Calvin Johnson, and Ronald Curry are all guys to keep in mind for next season.

2) Consider QB changes. Andre Johnson is the biggest beneficiary of this as Kubiak's system finally added a QB in Schaub that matched his offense, and AJ boomed into the fantasy elite while healthy. WRs can have tremendous talent, but if they don't have the proper system around them, they won't realize it. AJ should be a stud for years to come.

3) Marques Colston is for real. He suffered from a slight sophmore slump, but he really turned it on in the 2nd half, and he's here to stay. The Saints still need to find a more reliable secondary target to complement him, but he's a borderline WR1, and will be for a while.

4) Anquan Boldin gets hurt too much. I love this dude's skills, and I think he's very similar to T.O. The problem is that he's been banged up quite a bit. I think he's entering a catagory of player where you just can't expect 16 games from him, and you have to analyze his draft day value accordingly.

TE:

1) Don't reach. Gates is great, but he's not worth taking so far ahead of the others. Let's see if his ADP adjusts next year. I made a huge mistake by drafting Vernon Davis too early in several drafts, thinking that he would break out and become the next great TE. The skills are there, but guys like Chris Cooley and Jason Witten were available much later. Analyze the passing offense for the pass catchers and wait around for one. Winslow was a much better risk as he not only came much later, but he also had huge upside with health concerns. If you screw up and take a bust TE with the 9th or 10th pick, it's not a huge deal. If your 5th or 6th round TE busts, it's a much bigger deal.

K:

1) As I say every year, there's absolutely no reason to be picking a kicker above the last round. Find an offense that you think will score a lot, preferably one that plays in a dome or in warm weather come December so you don't have to worry about him the last month, and grab him in the last round.

D/ST:

1) How did that Baltimore pick treat you this year? Again, don't draft a defense before the last several rounds. Very few defenses are worth playing every week anyways.

All Positions:

1) A solid indicator of breakout stars lies in looking at 2nd half boomers. These are guys who picked up their play in the 2nd half of the previous year. They don't necessarily have to light the fantasy football world on fire, but guys who showed progress as the season went along. Tony Romo, Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Chris Cooley, and Jason Witten all qualify for this year. Guys to keep an eye on for next year are Jay Cutler, Donovan McNabb, Laurence Maroney (the Pats will run him more next year), Ryan Grant, Roddy White, and Tony Scheffler.

I hope you guys all enjoyed another season of fantasy football in 2007. I certainly did, and I aim to bring you more detailed preseason assessments, more accurate observations, and a full season's worth of player updates later on this year. I don't anticipate running into another work-related episode like I did this past season as I'm looking for a job that won't do that to me again. :)

I'll be posting soon with some preliminary fantasy baseball thoughts. Cheers!

Post-Season QB Value Analysis

My ranking are based on standard scoring of 1 pt/25 yards passing, 1 pt/10 yards rushing, 6 pts/TD, and -2 pts/turnover.

What I Said: 1.11) Peyton Manning - Manning is over-valued this year.

What Happened: Manning finished as the #3 QB this season. Given he went about a round and a half before the next QB on average, it was a steep price to pay for his yearly consistency, especially at the expense of a RB1 or top WR. I'd give myself a solid grade here.

What I Said: 3.02) Carson Palmer - Palmer is a good value this year, and a much better value than Manning.

What Happened: Palmer finished as the #9 QB this season. Rudi Johnson's heavy workload of the past several years caught up to him, and he was hampered by a hamstring injury all year. Rudi, the past several years, balanced out the offense and provided a reliable power running game to complement Palmer's downfield attack. Palmer continues to utilize CJ and TJ to their strengths, but shoddy protection this year led to way too many mistakes (20 INT). I'd give myself a poor grade here as Palmer was NOT worth a 3rd round pick.

What I Said: 3.10) Tom Brady - Brady is a decent value this year.

What Happened: Tom Brady finished as the #1 QB this season. He was the top fantasy football player this year. I did note that he had the best talent of his career surrounding him, which should have been obvious to everyone. Randy Moss found his motivation, Stallworth did well after-the-catch, and Welker owned the middle of the field. Brady wasn't just a decent value, he was arguably a steal. I'd give myself an OK grade here.

What I Said: 3.12) Drew Brees - Brees is over-valued this year.

What Happened: Brees finished as the #5 QB this season. Brees got off to a dreadful start, and given he was likely a 3rd round pick, he probably hurt your team pretty bad in the first month. He rebounded and looked like the Brees of old down the stretch, but he was a much better buy-low candidate thanks to the slow start than he was a 3rd round pick. I'd give myself a solid grade here, although he definitely proved his worth in the 2nd half of the season.

What I Said: 4.05) Marc Bulger - Bulger is a solid value this year.

What Happened: Bulger finished as a disaster. The Rams offensive line was absolutely ravaged by injuries, and thanks to the poor protection, Bulger got hit early and often, and this led to numerous injuries and a lot of missed games. Bulger had not completed a 16 game season prior to his stellar 2006 season, and I should have factored that in, although nobody could have predicted the amount of injuries to the Rams offensive line. I'll give myself a poor grade here, but injuries aren't always predictable.

What I Said: 4.10) Donovan McNabb - There's a lot of varying opinions on him this year, but I believe McNabb is a solid value.

What Happened: McNabb finished as the #12 QB this season. He started off slow, as I mentioned, turned in a monster game against Detroit, which at the time looked like the start of his rebound, and then he regressed back to a very medicore QB1. He did finish the season strong, but it was too late for those who selected him in the 5th round. Westbrook rightfully became the focal point of the offense. I learned that these knee injuries are tricky, and given McNabb relies on his mobility to be an effective passer, it affected him more than Palmer. Once he got used to becoming more of a pocket passer, he settled in and looked very good. The injury forced him to change his style, and that took too long of an adjustment period. I'd give myself a poor grade here for not having the foresight to see that happening.

What I Said: 6.01) Jon Kitna - Kitna is a good value this year.

What Happened: Kitna finished as the #14 QB this season. Everything seemed to be in place for him to repeat his 2006 success, but after a very strong start, things fell apart in a hurry. Calvin Johnson was overrated heading into the season, and he looked like most rookie WRs: lost. He dropped passes, ran wrong routes, and was hardly a reliable WR2 to keep attention off of Roy Williams. Shaun McDonald emerged as a decent WR2, but Mike Furrey disappeared. Once defense adjusted and only worried about Williams, Kitna looked lost. Martz refused to stay committed to the running game, and called for too many downfield routes, leaving Kitna in the pocket to get hammered all season long. It's amazing he lasted 16 games. I'd give myself a poor grade here, but Martz deserves part of the blame. :)

What I Said: 6.09) Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck is over-valued this year.

What Happened: Hasselbeck finished as the #7 QB this season. Given he was taken 8th overall on average, he lived up to his draft position, and better yet, he closed the season very strong. Once Alexander predictably showed his age, Holmgren adjusted his offense to become very pass-happy, and Hasselbeck's fantasy owners were a huge beneficiary of that. Given I told everyone to stay away from Alexander this season, I should have realized that Hasselbeck would benefit from Alexander not scoring all the time. I'll apply that next year. I'll give myself a poor grade here.

What I Said: 7.05) Tony Romo - Tony Romo is a good value this year.

What Happened: Romo finished as the #2 QB this season. I was money on this prediction. Romo was a stud the entire year, although he looked lost when Owens got hurt in week 15. Unfortunately that was the worst possible time for that to happen, but Romo most likely advanced his fantasy teams into the playoffs and should be a perenial top 5 option as long as Owens remains dominant. The Cowboys just don't have the WR depth behind Owens. I'll give myself a good grade here.

What I Said: 7.05) Phillip Rivers - Rivers is slightly over-valued.

What Happened: Rivers finished as the #16 QB this season. Rivers was over-valued, and I was right on here. He did not take that next step this season, and he actually regressed. The Chargers did acquire Chris Chambers, but he still remained inconsistent afterwards, which was a problem for him all season. He ran his mouth too much and didn't back up any of it. I'm not sure what to think of him as a QB moving forward, although Norv Turner has a solid track record of developing young QBs. Perhaps it was an offensive scheme change that caused this. I'll give myself a solid grade here.

What I Said: 8.06) Vince Young - Vince Young is slightly over-valued.

What Happened: Young finished as the #18 QB this season. Like Rivers, he also regressed as teams focused on stopping his rushing ability and giving him lanes to pass through. He didn't take advantage, although the disgusting lack of talent at WR and TE on the Titans doesn't do him any favors whatsoever. He can't do everything on his own. I'll give myself a solid grade here.

What I Said: 8.06) Matt Leinart - Matt Leinart is a good value.

What Happened: A complete mess followed by season-ending collarbone break. I was way off on this one. News leaked out that Leinart was putting far more attention into partying and being "Hollywood" than he did studying the playbook, and the results sure proved that. He turned in 2 poor performances, he started splitting time with a far more effective Kurt Warner, and then he broke his collarbone. Warner showed what that offense can do with a solid QB, which is move the ball effectively. Leinart better get himself into the film room and out of the way of the cameras. I'll give myself a poor grade here as the injury was hardly the source of the problem.

What I Said: 9.02) Jay Cutler - Jay Cutler is a good value.

What Happened: Cutler finished as the #11 QB this season. He was drafted as a fringe starter, and while I stated that was his downside, that's how he ended up. Once Javon Walker proved unable to play through his ailing knee, Cutler found a new favorite target in Brandon Marshall. Once Tony Scheffler recovered from his broken foot, he finally added a secondary option. He again showed promise, but remained a much better matchup QB than a weekly option. I'll give myself a solid grade here as the lack of receiving targets stunted his development, and I did mention what his downside was.

What I Said: 9.12) Eli Manning - Manning is a good value.

What Happened: Manning finished as the #13 QB. Manning wasn't a "good" value as much as he was a "solid" value. He looked very good to start the season, but once Burress' injured ankle started slowing him down, Manning lost his deep threat. Steve Smith suffered his own injury, and then Shockey battled his usual assortment of nagging injuries before breaking his leg. The injuries to all his weapons certainly stunted his fantasy potential, and it shows how important the health of the weapons are to a QB's fantasy potential. I'll give myself an OK grade here.

What I Said: 10.03) Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger is my favorite value pick at QB this season.

What Happened: Roethlisberger finished as the #4 QB this season. This was my money pick, and I targeted him in every draft, acquiring him in all but 1. Big Ben proved that last season was a fluke and become just short of a fantasy stud. Holmes has emerged as one of the game's better deep threats, Ward is a steady possession receiver, and Heath Miller did well over the middle, but is still under-utilized. If you waited to nab your starting QB until the 10th round, you likely built up quite a roster before worrying about your QB. With the uncertainty ahead of him, Big Ben (and waiver picks like Warner and Anderson) prove that you do NOT need to waste a high pick on a starting QB when you can further your depth at other positions instead. I'll give myself a solid grade here.

Summary:

Solid Grades: 7
OK Grades: 2
Poor Grades: 6

9/15 isn't too bad. I of course learned even more this year about where to find the values, and what all to take into consideration when determining what a QB's value is. I still firmly believe that this value-based approach is far better than simply putting a top 15 list together for your draft day preparation.

Hiatus Ends

My Team:

So, who's all battling for the fantasy championship in their league? I've made it there in one of my three leagues, and I'm using the following lineup:

QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Brian Westbrook
RB: Frank Gore
WR: Reggie Wayne
WR: Andre Johnson
WR: Anquan Boldin
TE: Tony Scheffler
K: Shayne Graham
D/ST: MIN

My current lineup looks nothing like the one I started the year with, but I had a poor draft and had to use waiver wire pickups/trades to re-build my team. Big Ben and AJ are sadly the only players I drafted, but I did a good job selling high on Reggie Bush, LaMont Jordan, and Roy Williams to get me to where I am.

This Week:

The Colts are very tricky this week. Dungy says he'll play them a usual amount, but don't listen to what he says....logic states that they'll be rested quite a bit. I'd have a hard time benching Manning or Wayne as they'll likely put up a half of very good production against a weak Houston secondary. Gonzalez should be a safe WR3 as well this week as he might play the most of the starters, plus coaches don't usually worry about WRs as much. Dallas Clark is a decent TE1, but his recent inconsistent play is cause for concern. Addai, however, is a very risky start. There's no way he plays more than a half, and that's his ceiling of playing time. Unless you have a very weak 3rd option, I'd consider sitting him.

The Patriots might pull their starters a little earlier than usual once they get out to a comfortable lead, but I'd consider Brady, Maroney, Moss, and Welker all safe starts. Stallworth is losing snaps to Gaffney and isn't worth using as a WR3. Ben Watson is a poor bet as he's pretty worthless unless you get a TD from him.

The Packers are playing for homefield advantage, and Favre will want to avenge the loss to the Bears earlier this season. The Packers were killing the Bears in the first half, then inexplicably took their foot off the gas pedal in the 2nd half and watched the game slip away. Play Fave, Grant, Driver, Jennings, and Lee as you usually would.

You don't have to worry about any other teams resting players. Keep an eye on Westbrook's status tomorrow, but he's expected to start, and we've seen this song and dance plenty of times where he doen't practice, but then puts up his 100+ total yards. Let's hope we get one more week of that, preferably without the kneel down at the one. That cost my a playoff win last week, but Brady's horrible game and Galloway's 0 didn't help either.

Fitzgerald and Boldin are both gametime decisions, but Boldin put in a lot of work before taking Friday off this week and appears close to full health. Fitzgerald should not be benched, but won't be 100%, and he appears worse for the wear than Boldin does. Warner should find plenty of both of them against a poor Falcons secondary.

Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew should both post solid stats against a hideous Oakland run D. I got stopped in the playoffs last week in one league thanks to Addai's hideous game against the Raiders, but you can blame that squarely on the shoulders of either OC Tom Moore or Manning as they stubbornly, and ineffectively, tried to throw the ball all over the place against a strong secondary and poor run D. Jacksonville won't make the same mistake.

Shanahanigans? Yup, full force. Don't even think about using Selvin Young or Travis Henry this week. Thanks to Henry's injuries and legal problems, yet another timeshare has reared its ugly head in Denver.

Going Forward:

I will do a full wrapup of my QB value picks after this week, and I'll also post some lessons learned. Then, it's about time to start thinking fantasy baseball... :)

Hiatus Coming To An End?

Well, I'm out of sick days, so I might as well call in dead.

Thanks to work obligations taking up pretty much all of my week and some of my weekend, I haven't had time to write during my favorite part of the year. Unfortunately I'm finishing up this ridiculous project way too late to be of much assistance to fantasy football owners. Why couldn't this have happened from January to April when nothing is going on in baseball/football? My project ends this coming Friday, and I'll finally be able to contribute to my blog again.

I'll note some start/sit ideas for the fantasy playoffs (weeks 15 and 16), and I'll try to do something for the gameday actives/inactive on Sunday. Hopefully some of my 3 readers have hung with me and will start checking this again. Once the season is over, I'll look back through my QB value ratings that I did during the preseason and see how I did. I also promised to look through my buy/sell suggestions for baseball, and once football season is over and baseball preparation starts creeping into people's minds, I will definitely address that as well.

So, all in all, I'll be looking forward to doing more writing, hopefully starting this weekend, but most likely starting late next week.

Hiatus Continued Yet Again

Hey Everyone

Well, thanks to 2 crazy days at work last week combined with my vacation to Nevada/Las Vegas that started yesterday, I again was unable to do a weekly review. I apologize again to everyone that reads my writing and I promise to get back to it again soon. I'm on vacation until Wednesday of next week, so I will do my best to post a week 11 review after the games this weekend, although it might be delayed until later in the week.

Jeff

Hiatus Continued, Plus Notes

Work has slowed down, but I'm in Boston for a mini-vacation over the weekend. I won't be able to post anything until I return on Monday, and I promise to post a Week 10 wrapup.

A couple notes:

1) The Patriots are on bye, so you'll have a chance to beat the Brady owner this week.

2) Do NOT go crazy over Priest Holmes. We all remember him leading us to fantasy titles as one of the most dominant fantasy players for a few years. He has a solid matchup against Denver and will probably get 10-15 carries including the goal line work, but we're talking about a 34 year old RB on a below-average offense. He still provides valuable depth, but Kolby Smith is worth owning as well. There's a chance LJ could be out for the year with that foot injury. The Denver Post reported it, but of course the team denies it. It was a nasty injury.

3) Hope that JP Losman continues to start for the Bills. He actually cares about getting Lee Evans the ball, which goes against the wishes of Trent Edwards and most of the coaching staff.

4) Travis Henry has a real chance of playing the rest of the year as his trial keeps getting pushed back. However, do NOT drop Selvin Young. Henry is starting to get banged up, and there's still a good chance that the suspension could be handed down prior to the end of the year.

5) Shaun Alexander has officially broken down. I warned everyone about this when the season began. He is all but done.

6) Steven Jackson will be limited in his return this week, so don't expect RB1 numbers from him.

7) There's talk that the original Adrian Peterson could start stealing carries from Cedric Benson, but don't get carried away. The Bears have too much invested into Benson to not let him play out the season, so the other AP is still a Benson injury away from having fantasy value. A 50/50 split is as good as AP speculators can hope for at the moment, and I don't even see that happening yet.

8) I love Big Ben for helping me overcome a 12 points deficit, Willie Parker, and Heath Miller with his monster performance on MNF.

So, here are my teams:

Team 1 (6-3, 3rd place)

QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner
RB: Joseph Addai, Brandon Jacobs, Kenny Watson, Priest Holmes, Selvin Young, Kenton Keith
WR: Randy Moss, Roy Williams, Brandon Marshall, Kevin Curtis, Chris Henry
TE: Chris Cooley

Team 2 (4-5, 6th place - horrible luck with catching a ton of high scoring teams)

QB: Jon Kitna, Vince Young
RB: Joseph Addai, Brandon Jacobs, Ryan Grant, Priest Holmes, Kenton Keith, Derrick Ward
WR: Plaxico Burres, Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin, Ronald Curry, Ted Ginn Jr.
TE: Vernon Davis

Team 3 (4-5, 6th place)

QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning
RB: Brian Westbrook, Frank Gore, Maurice Hicks, Kolby Smith, Correll Buckhalter
WR: Roy Williams, Andre Johnson, Lee Evans, Kevin Curtis, D.J. Hackett, Patrick Crayton
TE: Vernon Davis

Team 1: No trades...all drafted players and waiver pickups.

Team 2: I traded Andre Johnson and Eli Manning for Anquan Boldin and Vince Young, and that'll probably backfire since I did it to get through AJ's injury since my team kept losing. Boldin gave me 14 yards last week, so that worked out well. He better blow up Sunday and outproduce AJ the rest of the way.

Team 3: I did the most work with this team. I traded Reggie Bush for Clinton Portis a couple weeks into the season, then spun Clinton Portis and LaMont Jordan for Brian Westbrook shortly after that. I made a boneheaded move of dealing Willis McGahee for Frank Gore, and then they revealed Gore was hurt. I didn't have a great draft, but I've fixed my RB positions if Gore can get healthy for a stretch run.

Good times, and I'll see you guys on Monday.

Hiatus

I'm spending almost every waking hour at work these days, so I haven't had time to post a review of week 8 or an injury update for week 9. I apologize to everyone. I will be around to list gameday inactives tomorrow, however.

NFL Week 8: Injury Report

* If I have not listed a player here, he's in no danger of missing this week's game.

QB

Trent Edwards - No injury here, but he has officially become the Buffalo Bills starter for the rest of the season.

Trent Green - Green suffered a severe concussion in week 5, he will not play again this year, and he could retire as a result. Drop him in all leagues. Cleo Lemon will start for the forseeable future, but he's probably just keeping the seat warm for rookie John Beck.

Chad Pennington - No injury here, but he's on a very short leash with youngster Kellen Clemens ready to take over. Pennington was declared the starter for week 8, but it's only a matter of time before he loses the job.

Steve McNair - McNair suffered a groin injury in week 5, and he hasn't played since. He is expected to return this week, but watch practice reports to make sure. Kyle Boller would start in his place if McNair can't go.

Matt Schaub - Schaub suffered several injuries in week 7, but he is expected to return this week. He was limited in practice on Wednesday. Sage Rosenfels would start in his place if Schaub can't go.

David Garrard - Garrard suffered a high ankle sprain in week 7, and he is out indefinitely. Quinn Gray will start.

Vince Young - Young suffered a strained quad in week 6, but he is expected to return this week. He returned to practice on Wednesday.

Josh McCown - McCown suffered a torn toe ligament in week 3, and he is questionable to return this week. Duante Culpepper still doesn't have the confidence of the coaching staff as they appear ready to start McCown again once he heals.

Tavaris Jackson - Jackson suffered a broken finger in week 7, and he is out this week. Kelly Holcomb will start.

Byron Leftwich - Leftwich suffered a high ankle sprain in week 7, and he is out indefinitely. Joey Harrington still start.

David Carr - Carr suffered a back injury in week 5, but he is likely to return this week. He practiced on Wednesday and Thursday.

Alex Smith - Smith suffered a separated shoulder in week 4, but he will return this week. He practiced on Wednesday.

RB

Ronnie Brown - Brown suffered a torn ACL in week 7, and he is out for the season. Jesse Chatman will start.

Laurence Maroney - Maroney suffered a groin injury in week 2, he returned in a limited fashion in week 7, and will return to full duty in week 8.

Rudi Johnson - Johnson suffered a hamstring injury in week 3, and he is expected to miss this week. Kenny Watson will start.

Jamal Lewis - Lewis suffered a foot injury in week 5, and he is questionable to return this week. If he can't play, Jason Wright will start again, and Jerome Harrison will be mixed in as well.

Joseph Addai - Addai suffered a hand injury in week 7, but he returned later in the game. The big news is that given Addai's penchant to get nicked up, even though it's never cost him more than a handful of snaps, Tony Dungy has decided to use Kenton Keith more in games. This will not be a 50/50 split, but apparently Dungy is worried that Addai just can't carry the full load. Don't panic as Addai will still be plenty valuable, but he's not going to receive 25-30 touches any more in all likelihood.

Maurice Jones-Drew - MJD suffered a sprained knee in week 7, and he is questionable for this week. He continues to say that it's nothing to worry about and that he's fine, but he missed practice on Wednesday.

Chris Brown - Brown suffered an ankle injury in week 6, and he is questionable for this week. If he misses another game, it'll make LenDale White a great play. He could eventually be replaced by Chris Henry.

Travis Henry - Henry suffered a rib injury in week 7, and he is questionable for this week. He missed practice on Wednesday. Selvin Young would start in his place, but it sounds like Andre Hall will play a role as well.

DeShaun Foster - Foster suffered a turf toe injury in week 6, and he is questionable for this week. Even if he plays, he won't be worth using.

Frank Gore - Gore suffered a sprained ankle in week 7, but he is probable for this week. He missed practice on Wednesday, but he is expected to return later this week.

Steven Jackson - Jackson suffered a torn groin in week 3, but he will return this week. He practiced on Wednesday.

WR

Andre Johnson - Johnson suffered a sprained knee in week 2, and he is out this week. He's likely to return in week 11, and he'll be replaced by some combination of Kevin Walter and Andre Davis.

Marvin Harrison - Harrison suffered a sprained knee in week 5, but he is probable for this week. He missed practice on Wednesday, but he is likely to return to practice later this week.

Javon Walker - Walker suffered a knee injury in week 3, and he is out indefinitely. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean his knee out, and his current timetable is 6 weeks.

Plaxico Burress - Burress suffered a severely sprained ankle in week 2, but he is probable for this week. He has missed every practice since the injury, but he hasn't missed a game yet.

Santana Moss - Moss suffered a hamstring injury in week 3, and he hasn't looked right since. He is probable for this week, but it seems very risky to use him given the 0s (or worse) that he's posted since returning.

Darrell Jackson - Jackson suffered a strained quad in week 7, and he is questionable for this week. Given what little he's offered his owners, I imagine you have better alternatives anyways. He missed practice on Wednesday.

D.J. Hackett - Hackett suffered a high ankle sprain in week 1, and he is on bye this week, but he seems probable to return in week 9. If you have WR depth problems or someone you want to drop, go get Hackett now. He's likely to be a solid fantasy contributor once he returns.

TE

Ben Watson - Watson suffered an ankle injury in week 6, and he is out indefinitely. Kyle Brady will start and can be used in a pinch.

Todd Heap - Heap suffered a strained hamstring in week 4, and he is expected to return after the team's bye this week.

Tony Scheffler - Scheffler suffered a sprained ankle in week 7, but he is probable for this week. He practiced on Wednesday. With Javon Walker out, he's a strong candidate to turn in a solid 2nd half, and can be picked up as a TE2.

L.J. Smith - Smith underwent hernia surgery prior to the season, and he is questionable this week. He's worth keeping an eye on if you have TE problems.

Bubba Franks - Franks suffered a sprained knee in week 5, and he is out for this week. Donald Lee becomes a great option at TE with Franks out.

Alge Crumpler - Crumpler is suffering from a knee injury that he had surgery on prior to the season, but he is expected to return after the team's bye this week. He has questionable TE1 value upon his return.

NFL Week 7: Monday Night Game Wrapup

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars

Peyton Manning - 23/37, 259 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2/0, 1 TD. Another solid fantasy game from Manning even against an elite pass D like JAX. He took what the defense gave him and also utilized a solid running game to move the ball and put points on the board.

Joseph Addai - 16/85, 4/22. A solid yardage game from Addai, but Dungy came out and stated that they want to get Kenton Keith more involved in the offense. Addai had to come out after hurting his hand on a 23 yard run, and that result in Kenton Keith picking up a TD. He had another nice 10 yard run down to the inside the 1, but he failed to reach the ball over the stripe, and then Manning plunged it in. Addai's fantasy value will drop, but he's still a very solid RB1.

Marvin Harrison - 3/16. Despite reports that he'd play a full set of plays, Harrison was limited in this outing and his production suffered. I expect improvement next week, especially against a ho-hum CAR secondary.

Reggie Wayne - 9/131. It's a shame he didnt' score, but he came up with big catch after big catch against a very tough opponent. His TDs are down currently, but expect him to pick up the scoring slack as the season moves along.

Dallas Clark - 4/66, 1 TD. Another game, another TD. He broke wide open late in the game off of a playaction and posted a 35 yard TD to ensure another solid fantasy performance.

David Garrard - 8/12, 72 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. Garrard was playing alright, but he had to leave with an ankle injury and could be out a couple weeks. It's blow to his owners as he was playing like a borderline QB1.

Quinn Gray - 9/24, 56 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 2/8, 1 FL. Ugly. He's not a fantasy option, but 2 QB leaguers should pick him up.

Fred Taylor - 11/55, 1/-2. Not enough touches for him to be anything beyond a decent RB3. Given MJD's potential knee injury, Taylor could see a rise in fantasy value, however.

Maurice Jones-Drew - 13/52, 3/17, 1 TD. The TD made him turn in yet another solid RB2 performance, but his knee injury bears watching this week in practice as he limped off towards the end of the game.

NFL Week 7: Late Game Wrapup

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals

Chad Pennington - 20/31, 272 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 3/7, 1 FL. Pennington put up a solid game against a very weak defense, but he was picked off and it was return for a TD to seal the game for Cincy. This is probably not enough to hold off the calls for Kellen Clemens, especially with the team sporting a 1-6 record.

Thomas Jones - 19/67. A very disappointing effort from Jones against such a weak defense, especially with the game close throughout. Keep him in the lineup versus Buffalo in week 8.

Laveraneous Coles - 8/133, 2 TD. A huge last game from the Pennington/Coles connection, if that is indeed the end to Chad's run as the starter. There was no denying that the two had solid chemistry, so hopefully Coles will keep that up if Clemens takes over. He had a great matchup with Buffalo in week 8.

Jerricho Cotchery - 6/60, 1 TD. A solid game from Cotchery, and he could start to receive more targets from Clemens. He too has a great matchup with Buffalo in week 8.

Carson Palmer - 14/21, 226 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Owners were certainly left wanting more from Palmer in such a good matchup against the Jets, but Watson stole the scoring show, and Cincy was able to move the ball down the field very effectively on the ground. He faces a stern test against Pittsburgh in week 8.

Kenny Watson - 31/130, 3/27, 3 TD. Hello, Kenny Watson. The owners who used him with Rudi out were rewarded beyond their wildest dreams with a monster game. Given how well Watson has run, how poorly Rudi was running this year, and Rudi dealing with a lingering injury, there's a very good chance that Watson has carved himself a far more prominent role in the backfield.

Chad Johnson - 3/102. He had a couple long catches, but his targets were limited with Cincy choosing to run the ball down NYJ's throat. Owners are probably getting impatient with TJ stealing all the TD's, but Palmer obviously uses both to their strengths.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 4/43, 1 TD. TJ is 6/6 in games with TDs this year, making him insanely consistent. Like I mentioned above, Palmer obviously uses both to their strengths, and it's certainly making TJ a far more valuable fantasy WR this year.

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders

Damon Huard - 16/31, 177 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/-2. A very subpar outing from Huard, but like I mentioned before, the Raiders secondary is very solid. This won't hurt his chances for starting the rest of the year, especially since the Chiefs won again.

Larry Johnson - 24/112, 6/21, 1 TD. LJ took advantage of a great matchup and posted another very solid game. He has entered the easier part of his schedule, so as long as he holds up, he should continue taking advantage of matchups against weaker defenses. I'm still wary on his healthy over the course of this season, but he's proving good to go for now.

Dwayne Bowe - 3/84. He hauled in a big 58 yard pass which saved his fantasy day in a game where he caught only 3 passes. Count the lack of catches up to a solid opponent, and feel lucky that he broke a big one to turn in a solid fantasy day.

Tony Gonzalez - 4/66. Another solid day from Gonzo who continues to thrive with Huard behind center. He's a TE1 like usual.

Duante Culpepper - 18/29, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/4. A decent game from Culpepper. I think expecting numbers like these in most weeks is very reasonable.

LaMont Jordan - 11/29, 4/40. Jordan struggled horribly again on the ground, but he avoided a disaster by catching passes later in the game. Given Rhodes logged 9 carries to Jordan's 11, it's time to start worrying that Jordan's back is limiting his effectiveness, and that it will lead to Rhodes getting more playing time. Rhodes hardly did anything (9/21) with his carries, though.

Ronald Curry - 4/45, 1 TD. Jerry Porter seems to make the big plays (1/59), but he's being targetted less frequently than Curry. Curry remains the guy to own and makes for a solid WR3.

Zach Miller - 4/48. Culpepper effectively used Jermaine Wiggins during his tenure with the Vikings, so Miller could emerge as a solid TE2 down the stretch.

Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys

Tavaris Jackson - 6/19, 72 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/20. Worst QB in football. He has solid physical skills and is arguably the fastest QB in the NFL, but he's so raw and it's really showing this year. Brad Childress is really doing a disservice to his team by not starting a veteran until Jackson is ready.

Adrian Peterson - 12/63, 1/12, 1 TD, 1 FL. Peterson scored on a 20 yard run, but didn't get enough carries in this one to make a huge difference. Because of the erratic amount of times he touches the ball, he's a lower tiered RB1.

Chester Taylor - 10/47, 3/19. Taylor should not be unowned in leagues, and he's especially helpful as a handcuff to Peterson owners.

Tony Romo - 31/39, 277 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1/4, 1 FL. I expected a better output from Romo against a weak Vikings secondary, but he still put up a solid effort in what has been one of is weaker outputs of the season thus far.

Marion Barber - 19/96, 4/9, 1 TD. Barber received 19 carries to Jones' 9, and while I wouldn't get too excited yet, this could be a step in Barber becoming the team's feature RB. He battered the vaunted MIN run D in the 2nd half.

Terrell Owens - 7/103, 1 TD. Owens sliced through the MIN secondary and put up his best game out of the last 3. Not that his owners were worried, but it's nice to see him put up another solid effort.

Patrick Crayton - 2/19, 1 FL. When you are the teams' 2B option in the receiving game, there's going to be games like this.

Jason Witten - 10/86. A monster PPR game from the talented Witten. He continues to be the best TE bargain in fantasy drafts with excellent consistency.

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles

Brian Griese - 27/41, 322 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1/0. He was having a rather modest day until leading the Bears on a 97 yard TD drive in under 2 minutes with 0 timeouts, culminating in a 15 yard TD pass to Muhammad. Griese is turning into a solid QB2.

Cedric Benson - 17/46, 1/19. Pathetic. He runs with no burst, no power, and seemingly no effort. It's time for the Bears to give Adrian Peterson more work.

Muhsin Muhammad - 5/79, 1 TD. He should be owned in all leagues. He's not the deep threat he once was, but he suits the short passing game that Griese does well, and he's the best fit for the new Chicago passing game. He's still a very solid redzone target. He gets a favorable matchup against the Lions next.

Bernard Berrian - 4/65. Still solid numbers, but without the deep playaction TD bombs he was catching with consistency last year, he's not posting any big games.

Greg Olsen - 4/48. He's been consistently posting decent yardage totals and is a solid TE2 with further upside in the 2nd half.

Donovan McNabb - 21/34, 226 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/18. McNabb is looking quicker on his feet as the season moves on, and while he hasn't had a big game since the explosion versus the Lions, he's slowly making progress. He makes for a solid buy-low candidate in the 2nd half.

Brian Westbrook - 18/79, 6/40. Westbrook against posted a very good yardage total, but didn't find the endzone again. He'll get more chances as McNabb continues to improve.

Kevin Curtis - 5/62. McNabb talked about getting Reggie Brown more involved, and while he has definitely succeeded in doing that after the bye, Curtis remains the preferred target. He's quick, runs good routes, and has good hands.

Reggie Brown - 3/44. He's slowly coming around, but he's nothing more than a WR4 for now.

St Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Marc Bulger - 21/40, 225 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT. What a horrible disaster in his return. I feel very bad that I recommended him in my gameday active area as he was clearly rusty on an offense that just isn't accomplishing anything. Steven Jackson likely returns next week, so that should help. They get Cleveland next, so if your other QB is on bye, it's a solid matchup to try him again with.

Brian Leonard - 12/44. Leonard hardly capitalized on a solid matchup. He's likely headed back to the bench next week.

Torry Holt - 8/82. His knee continues to limit his ability to make downfield plays, and since the offense is struggling so badly, he's not scoring TDs to make up for it.

Isaac Bruce - 2/52. The deep-in route king. He'll improve down the stretch as the Rams offense figures to do so as well.

Matt Hasselbeck - 18/35, 195 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Not a big yardage day, but he made up for it by tossing 2 TDs. He's still a low tier QB1. He's on bye this week, and he'll benefit from getting Deion Branch back after the bye.

Shaun Alexander - 19/47, 1/18. This has gotten ugly in a hurry, plus he got into an argument with his coach on the sideline. I'd stick a fork in him, but he'd probably yell at me too.

Bobby Engram - 6/73. Another solid outing from Engram, but with Branch scheduled to return after the bye week, he'll lose fantasy value and likely return to the slot. However, he'll probably remain Hasselbeck's secondary receiver.

Nate Burleson - 1/12. Thanks, Nate.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Ben Roethlisberger - 24/35, 290 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT, 3/20, 1 FL. Big Ben took full advantage of the DEN secondary with Bailey out by posting his best fantasy effort of the season. With Ward and Holmes both back at the WR position, expect him to improve his yardage in the 2nd half.

Willie Parker - 21/93, 2/34. Another fine yardage game, but the lack of TDs has to be frustrating his owners. He's been solid all year, otherwise.

Hines Ward - 7/78. He looked healthy and is safe to resume starting. Cincy is a great matchup in week 8.

Santonio Holmes - 6/54, 1 TD. Same as Ward.

Heath Miller - 5/50, 2 TD. Miller came through with a big game for those who chose to use him, and he'll likely retain his lower tier TE1 value all year long. He's a great redzone target.

Jay Cutler - 22/29, 248 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 3/41. A very solid fantasy day for Cutler who tossed a career-high 3 TDs. Given the competition, this was a very nice step forward this year for the youngster who seemed to have slightly regressed since last year. Expect continued modest improvement.

Travis Henry - 17/51. He was bottled up by a great PIT run D, and he also left a bit early with bruised ribs. He's really slowed down after a fast start. Check his practice status this week.

Brandon Marshall - 6/77. Another solid effort from Marshall who will be the go-to receiver for the Broncos with Javon Walker out at least 6 weeks. Expect better numbers against weaker defenses, but GB in week 8 isn't a weaker defense. He's still a WR3 with WR2 upside.

Brandon Stokley - 6/70, 1 TD. Perhaps he can be of WR3 assistance with Walker out? Pick him up to find out if he's available and you need WR depth.

Tony Scheffler - 5/50, 1 TD. He's a forgotten man after a strong finish to last season once Cutler took over. He was suffering from a foot injury to start the year, but with Walker down, Scheffler could emerge as a 2nd half sleeper if they get him more involved in the passing game. He certainly has the receiving skills.

NFL Week 7: Early Game Wrapup

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Kyle Boller - 21/36, 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1/7. Hardly the performance against a weak BUF secondary that Boller needed to unseat McNair. Expect McNair to return as the starter after the bye as long as he's healthy.

Willis McGahee - 19/114, 2/1, 1 TD. Despite the lack of touches, McGahee busted out for a 46 yard TD. Given the concern in the preseason about his explosiveness, that was certainly nice to see. The Ravens have a bye next week, and they could get both RT Adam Terry and LT Jonathan Ogden back at that point, which would be a big plus for McGahee's value.

Derrick Mason - 7/78, 1 TD. There's always a few veterans each year that are drafted for depth, but they take their fantasy owners by surprise and turn into a fantasy starter. Mason is certainly that, putting up solid performances on a weekly basis along catching a ton of passes.

Mark Clayton - 5/49. Clayton claims he's as healthy as he's been all year, and he certainly performed better this week. Don't forget about him. McNair's arm will certainly limit his upside, but he should definitely be viewed as no worse than a WR4.

Trent Edwards - 11/21, 153 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. He managed the game well and led the Bills to victory. He even took a shot downfield and hit Lee Evans for a 54 yard gaine, which was nice to see. Still, he's nothing more than depth in 2 QB leagues.

Marshawn Lynch - 27/84, 3/14, 1 TD. Lynch has certainly become a very solid RB2, and this was an especially impressive performance against such a strong BAL run D. His schedule eases up in the 2nd half, making his first half performance even more impressive given the defenses he's had to face.

Lee Evans - 5/98. It was just a matter of time before Evans got going, and he's actually posted solid games in 2 of the last 3 outings. He's not going to replicate the explosion he saw last season, but he's certain re-establishing himself as a WR3.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Jeff Garcia - 37/45, 316 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 6/10, 2 FL. Owner who used him this week because their starter was on bye or because he had a good matchup were rewarded with a very solid fantasy day. Garcia continues his resurgence under Jon Gruden.

Earnest Graham - 19/92, 13/99. A monster PPR day for Graham who kept new acquisition Michael Bennett on the bench for most of the afternoon. Don't read too much into this as it was the Lions defense, but Graham has definitely given his owners hope for RB3 value and will probably receive the majority of touches against Jacksonville next week, but he's certainly not recommended as a starter.

Joey Galloway - 5/46. It seems like unless he catches a deep TD, he's not doing much. That trend contninued today, but he's still a solid WR3.

Ike Hilliard - 9/92, 1 TD. Add him to the surprise veteran list, and he's an even bigger one than Mason since he was likely not drafted. It's amazing what a Jon Gruden system can do.

Jon Kitna - 16/20, 147 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/9. Don't read too much into this as the Bucs have a very good pass defense. Kitna has put up back-to-back poor games, but they've come against top notch secondaries. KJ's return will mean the Lions will run the ball more, but that should eventually help the passing game as defenses can't sit deep all game. He gets an injury-ravaged Chicago D next week, so expect better numbers and don't give up on him as your starter yet.

Kevin Jones - 15/76, 6/34, 1 TD. KJ is back, and he's ready to resume being the RB1 he was before his injury last year. I wouldn't expect many 25 carry games from him, but he's certainly going to be involved plenty in the passing game and has been proficient near the goal line.

Roy Williams - 3/23. He caught all 3 passes thrown to him, so you can't ask for much more. Life gets easier.

Calvin Johnson - 2/37, 1/32, 1 TD. Thanks to a 32 TD run where CJ looked like LT while stiff arming through defenders, he saved his fantasy day. Much like I said about Kitna and Roy above, better days are ahead in the passing game.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

Kerry Collins - 25/42, 280 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. He threw the ball downfield, which is something Vince Young still doesn't do very well yet. He might still have a start or two left in him with Young's status up in the air, but I don't recommend him next week against a strong OAK secondary.

LenDale White - 27/104, 4/22, 1 TD. A 28 yard run! White looked better in this effort, although he still couldn't manage 4 YPC. Regardless, he's the primary ball carrier with Chris Brown injured (who didn't see that coming), and he's a very strong play against a weak OAK run D next week.

Chris Henry - 11/57, 1 TD. He did a fine job of spelling White, and he could overtake Chris Brown as TEN's backup RB. Don't rush to pick him up, but if he's officially named the backup, he's worth rostering.

Roydell Williams - 5/124. As I said with Collins, he looked downfield far more often, and Williams was the main beneficiary. If you're deparate at WR you could try him with Brandon Jones out, but you should have better options.

Matt Schaub - 5/9, 23 yards. He got hammered a couple times and left injured. Reports indicate that he'll return nextx week.

Ahman Green - 11/39, 5.32. TEN's run D is actually strong, but Green is showing little to nothing these days on the ground. Luckily he's still proficient in the passing game.

Kevin Walter - 6/97, 1 TD. He strikes again. He gets the shaky SD secondary next week, so you can roll with him again as your WR3.

Andre Davis - 4/88, 1 TD. The Houston system is using Davis well down the field, and he caught an improbable 53 yard TD to put Houston ahead for a bit at the end of the game. Up until then he definitely took a back seat to Kevin Walter.

Owen Daniels - 2/20. Very frustrating day given the Texans threw for over 300 yards and had 4 TDs, including one thrown to his backup Jeb Putzier. Don't read too much into this as he's a solid lower tier TE1.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Tom Brady - 21/25, 354 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT. He did this is just over a half's worth of work. His owners are probably at least 5-2 at this point.

Laurency Maroney - 6/31. Frustrating for those who used him as I recommended starting him, but in hindsight I learned something. First of all, the Pats were going to blow out the Dolphins. That was a given. Knowing that, there was no reason for them to use Maroney much and risk re-injury. Expect him to get more work next week.

Randy Moss - 4/122, 2 TD. Teams are routinely double and triple covering him, but he's going to win jump balls in the endzone no matter how many guys are blanketing him. Both TDs were bombs thrown into tight coverage, but Moss just outleaped everyone. It's amazing what he can do when he tries.

Wes Welker - 9/138, 2 TD. Forget Brandon Stokley, he's the new whiteness. His incredible run continues, but I'd still try to sell him for a more established WR. See what you can get in return for him.

Donte Stallworth - 3/51, 1 TD. He continues performing like a great WR3 in one of the best offenses of all time.

Cleo Lemon - 24/37, 236 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 3/16, 1 TD, 1 FL. With the trade of Chris Chambers and the loss of Ronnie Brown, he has such little talent around him that it's impossible to recommend him as a QB2.

Ronnie Brown - 17/76, 5/33. Torn ACL, and he's done for the year. He's one of my favorite players, and this kills his owners as he was a draft bargain at the beginning of the 2nd round.

Jesse Chatman - 7/73, 1/9, 1 TD. He carved up the NE D in garbage time, and he'll be the #1 waiver priority for most teams this week. He has solid skills and I believe in Cameron's system, but it's going to be really hard for him to post solid RB2 numbers with the talent around him. Still, he's worth burning your waiver position for.

Marty Booker - 3/28. With the Phins at 0-7, he might start losing playing time to youngsters Derek Hagan and Ted Ginn Jr. They're battling to start opposite of Booker for now, but I wonder how much the Dolphins will attempt to get their youngsters playing time.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

Trent Dilfer - 23/38, 209 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 3/11, 2 FL. Pathetic. Alex Smith returns next week, thankfully.

Frank Gore - 14/88, 3/23. Another solid yardage game from Gore despite a lack of touches. He hurt his ankle in the 1st half and apparently played in quite a bit of pain in the 2nd half, so monitor his status. His backup, Michael Robinson, is not an attractive pickup.

Darrell Jackson - 2/6, 1 TD. I don't think even Alex Smith can revive him.

Vernon Davis - 4/22. Let's hope Alex Smith can get him more involved. It's such a waste of talent to not be using an athlete like Davis extensively, especially given the crap they have at the WR position.

Eli Manning - 18/31, 146 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Not overly impressive, but the Giants had total control of this game throughout. Miami is a great matchup next.

Brandon Jacobs - 18/107, 1 TD. Jacobs ran all over SF's defense, but there are rumors that he re-injured the ankle that caused him to come out of last week's game prematurely. Keep an eye on his status this week as he has a tasty matchup against Miami up next.

Plaxico Burress - 5/43. The Giants didn't need to pass much, so his opportunities were limited.

Amani Toomer - 3/36, 1 TD. Toomer turned in another nice afternoon, and he's up there with veterans Derrick Mason and Ike Hilliard as surprise fantasy contributors.

Jeremy Shockey - 5/39, 1 TD. Same as above, but he got a redzone TD toss to give him a solid fantasy day.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Byron Leftwich - 15/23, 145 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3/6. Lefty was putting up a solid afternoon until a high ankle sprain ended his day early. He could be out anywhere from 2 weeks to the rest of the year, making Harrington the starter again.

Warrick Dunn - 13/28, 1/1. Petrino is being a damned moron with his running game. Dunn has accomplished absolutely nothing while Norwood provides big plays (6/38, 30 yard run) almost every game. The team isn't going anywhere, so start Norwood already.

Roddy White - 8/110, 1 TD. A spectacular performance from White who is finally putting his talent on display. Unfortunately Leftwich went down, hurting his value, but he can still be a decent WR3.

Drew Brees - 22/34, 219 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2/8. He's slowly rounding back into form, and if you're struggling at QB, try to buy low on him. I don't see him exploding like he did last year, but I think he's back to stay as a QB1.

Reggie Bush - 17/54, 5/19, 1 TD. He bulled his way into the endzone on his TD reception, but looked rather ineffective outside of that. He still has a ways to go, but he's a RB1.

Marques Colston - 3/45. He's just not making big plays, but expect improvement as long as Brees is improving. Nowhere to go but up, but he's recommended as only a WR3 for now.

Devery Henderson - 1/37, 1 TD. Don't even think about it.

Eric Johnson - 5/54. He was a bit more involved this week, but he's nothing more than a boring TE2 option.

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins

Kurt Warner - 27/41, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1/0, 1 FL. Warner was a surprise starter, and he played very well all afternoon against a tough secondary. If he can do this with a bad arm against a great secondary, he'll emerge as a strong starter against weak defenses. He'll have a bye week to heal his off-arm up.

Edgerrin James - 27/83. He had a very tough matchup, and he got enough touches to put together a solid yardage effort.

Larry Fitzgerald - 6/97. Another solid yardage game from Fitz, but Boldin took both of the scores. Warner helps his value moving forward, although it won't be what it was with Boldin hurt.

Anquan Boldin - 8/29, 2 TD. What a bizarre statline. His owners will smile and take it. Warner prefers Boldin, so his health is great news for Boldin owners.

Jason Campbell - 12/18, 95 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/7. A horrible outing from Campbell against what projected to be a solid matchup. Definitely a step back from last week's effort.

Clinton Portis - 18/43, 2/14, 2 TD. Portis continues to not look himself, but the 2 TDs saved his afternoon. I'd sell high. He should get the ball plenty, but his explosion isn't there as his knee is likely still bothering him. He hasn't shown much life over the past month.

Santana Moss - 2/8. I'd like to punch him in the face. I gave him a chance to redeem himself after last week and he does this. Dammit. He's likely still hurting.

Antwaan Randle El - 3/54. You could do worse as a WR3 while Moss is still hurting. He seems to have improved as a WR, and Campbell doesn't mind using him.

Chris Cooley - 1-3. Yay! Awesome. A victim of Campbell's poor day. No worries.

NFL Week 4: Monday Night Game Actives/Inactives

ACTIVE

Joseph Addai - He practiced all week, so this is not a surprise. Don't worry about some sort of new carry split with Kenton Keith given how well Keith ran in week 5. Addai is the unquestioned starter.

Fred Taylor - Despite being limited in practice, he's ready to go.

Maurice Jones-Drew - Same as Taylor.

Marvin Harrison - Reports today indicated that he'll be a full go, so get him in there if you were waivering between Harrison and someone like Aaron Moorehead or Anthony Gonzalez. Jacksonville's pass D is elite, but Manning and company had an extra week to prepare.

INACTIVE

Matt Jones - If you started him, you deserve this.

NFL Week 7: Late Game Actives/Inactives

Active

Marc Bulger - He put in a full week of practice, so this is no surprise. Start him.

Torry Holt - Holt's knee has definitely caused problem this year, but he should benefit from the return of Bulger.

Isaac Bruce - Bruce returns this week, and with the returt of Bulger, he back to being a usable WR3.

Deion Branch - Branch is still nursing his foot injury.

D.J. Hackett - Hackett was limited in practice this week, but he has a real chance of returning next week.

Inactive

Rudi Johnson - Rudi will sit this one out, and Kenny Watson will start in his place. Watson is a very solid RB2 play against the Jets.

Drew Bennett - Bennett is out again, although he should only be rostered in very deep leagues while he's injured.

NFL Week 7: Early Game Actives/Inactives

Active

Vince Young - Young is active, but reportedly won't start. He's not worth using to find out.

Kurt Warner - He's active, and despite early reports, he will start. He's a very risky start at QB with a tough matchup against the very good Redskins secondary.

Laurence Maroney - Maroney will start and is an excellent play against the Dolphins. Sammy Morris is out, so while Maroney appears to be the favorite for goal line carries, there's an outside chance the Patriots could use Heath Evans in that role. He's well worth starting to find out.

Brandon Jacobs - Jacobs is active, will probably start, and will hopefully receive goal line carries (Droughns vultured one last week while Jacobs was dealing with various injuries). He's a bit risky, but unless you have another sure-fire starting RB, I'd use him.

Plaxico Burress - Burress' pattern of not practicing all week and then playing on Sunday stays in tact. He's a WR1.

Anquan Boldin - Boldin is back on the field and is worth using, but temper your expectations with Rattay starting against a tough Redskins pass D.

Santana Moss - Moss was listed as probably, so this isn't a surprise. I expect him to rebound from last week's dismal performance.

Inactive

Chris Brown - LenDale White becomes a solid RB2 play with Brown out.

Andre Johnson - Johnson is out again. Kevin Walter and Andre Davis are borderline WR3 options this week.

Alge Crumpler - 2007 is turning into a lost year for Crumpler who is now too banged up to play.

San Diego Chargers Trade For WR Chris Chambers

The San Diego Chargers have traded for WR Chris Chambers from the Miami Dolphins, and the Dolphins will reportedly receive a 2nd round draft pick in return.

This will definitely help the Chargers WR group as Vincent Jackson wasn't standing out as a #1 WR, and the team had few quality alternatives behind him. Chambers will give Phillip Rivers another quality option in the passing game, and should help Rivers' development. He's definitely the fastest WR the Chargers now have.

Fantasy Impact: Believe it or not, this slightly hurts Chambers' value. He's obviously moving to a better offense with a better QB, but instead of being the go-to guy in the passing game like he was in Miami, he'll now share that role with Gates on the Chargers offense. The Chargers are still very much a run-first offense. This also hurts Vincent Jackson as Jackson definitely drops to WR4 value. Chambers should still be a fairly solid WR3 on a good offense, but it might take him a week or two to acclimate. If you can find someone in your league that thinks this is a boon to Chambers' value, deal him.

NFL Week 6: Monday Night Game Wrapup

New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons

Eli Manning - 27/39, 303 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT. Manning was on fire early, picking up 199 yards and 2 TDs in the first half before crumbling like the little girl that Sheli is. Regardless of my dislike for this player, I own him as a backup on 2 teams, and he's a borderline QB1 startable in most matchups.

Brandon Jacobs - 13/86, 1/2. Jacobs suffered a shoulder burner on the first carry. came out, came back in later, ran all over the Falcons for a bit, and then left the game for good with a minor ankle injury. His durability is becoming a serious concern, and I'm debating trying to sell him. Droughns finished up in the blowout, and it's possible the Giants were featuring him for a potential trade, but with Jacobs and Ward both nursing injuries, it seems unlikely. Plus Droughns vultured a score.

Plaxico Burress - 6/97, 1 TD. Much like Allen Iverson, Burress hates practice as well, and who can blame him with what he's accomplished this season so far despite not practicing since week 2. He's hauled in 8 of Eli's 11 TD passes. He's a WR1.

Amani Toomer - 7/89, 1 TD. He's very inconsistent as is Eli, but he's usable in the right matchups. Consider him a solid WR4.

Jeremy Shockey - 5/63. He continues posting solid, but not spectacular games. Burress has emerged as the clearly preferred redzone target, and Shockey has only scored once.

Joey Harrington - 18/39, 209 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1/1. Gross, again. It's only a matter of time before Leftwich is named the new Falcons starter.

Warrick Dunn - 8/15, 2/13. Dunn is more than living up to his name. Why they won't switch to Norwood is beyond me.

Jerious Norwood - 6/87, 4/51, 1 TD. Most of those receiving yards came on the last drive while the Giants were sitting in a prevent defense, so those aren't indicative of anything. Still, he busted out a beautiful 67 yard TD run, weaving his way through the secondary and outrunning the defense. His time has to be coming, right?

Roddy White - 4/64. White dropped a couple more passes, as he's best known for, but it's pretty impressive that he keeps posting solid yardage totals despite the drops and the recently poor QB play of Harrington. He's a solid WR4.

Joe Horn - 2/25. Joe needs to blow his own Horn and retire. He shouldn't be owned despite the name.